Room temperature regulating air valve



NOV. 17, 1931. s, HALSEY 1,832,385

ROOM TEMPERATURE REGULATING AIR VALVE Filed Feb. 6, 1950 lqa f a zPatented Nov. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES EDWARD S. HALSEY, OF MIAMI SHORES,FLORIDA ROOM TEMPERATURE REGULATING AIR VALVE Application filed.February The invention relates to heating systems of the general type inwhich the radiators are supplied with steam of less than atmosphericpressure and are vented into suction I pipes and concerns particularlyvalve mechanism having a valve, controlling air to the vent of theradiator, controlled by a room thermostat whereby the supply of steam tothe radiator is regulated;

The invention consists in the features and combinationand arrangement ofpart-shereinafter described and particularly pointed out in theaccompanying claims.

In the drawings Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of one form of theinvention. v

Fig. 2 is a similar View of another form of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the system embodying the invention.

In these drawings, 1 indicates the radiators to which steam is suppliedby the pipes 2 from a boiler 3. At 4 is shown the suction pipe leadingfrom the vent end of the radiators, at which end my improved valvemechanism is employed, it being located at and connected with the vent,as will be presently described.

The suction pipe 4 leads to any suitable form of aspirator 5, operatedby water under is also screw threaded. This partition has a central port1 1. controlled by a valve 15 connected by a rod 16 with an arm 17extending through an opening 18 in the valve casing and connected with asuitable form of-thermostat indicated generally at. 19, and shown indetail in an applicationof even date herewith.

6, 1930. Serial No. 426,287.

pressure introduced to said aspirator through There is a passage 20extending from the port 14: to the suction pipe. The outlet of thispassage is adjustable by a screw pin 21. The port 1 1 through thepartition 13 is also "i controlled by a valve 22 connected with a hollowfloat or expansible unit 23 in the lower part of the casing. This floatrests upon an adjustable pin 2 1 by which the initial position of thefloat valve may be determined.

This unit 23 contains alcohol vapor so that the upper wall bearing thevalve point 22 will expand under heat and said point will close the portIt. This will take place when steam begins to flow through theattachment from the vent end of the radiator. Furthermore, the floatwill rise when water enters the valve casing from the radiator vent andthus the port 14 will be closed.

We will suppose that the radiator and room are cold. The bi-metalthermostat is so wound that valve 15 will be closed. The suction throughpipe 4 will draw steam into the-radiator and the air and steam ventedfrom the radiator will pass to the pipe 4 through the central port 14in. disc 13 and the minute passage 20.

Now when the room temperature has raised to the prescribed degree, thethermostat will open valve 15 and atmospheric air will pass into thedevice through opening 18 and thence through port 14 to the radiatorthrough the vent pipe 11 thereof. This will be due to the subnormalpressure within the radiator. Some air will pass through the narrowpassage 20 under the suction in pipe at but the main body of air willpass into the radiator, and this air will back up in radiator and checkthe inflow of steam, as the system operates with steam slightly belowatmospheric pressure.

The opening 14 at the center of the disc 13 may be closed also by theexpansible float valve 22 to vprevent escape of steam or water.

- When the room cools ofl' below the temperature desired, the roomthermostat will lower the arm 17 and close the valve 15, thus cuting offany further inlet of air through the opening 18 and then the suctionthrough pipe 4: will act to vent the radiator through nipple 11, thencepast the valve 22 and through passage 20. Steam will now enter theradiator and the temperature of the room will rise.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 2 is like that of Fig. 1, exceptthat the valve 15a controls a port at for the supply of air. This valve15a is operated by a room thermostat so wound that it will rise when theroom cools and close air inlet 25. The suction from pipe 4: now drawsthrough ports 26 and 27 past the elevated valve 15a, now closing airinlet 25, thus drawing steam into the radiator.

When the temperature of the room rises, then valve 150 lowers and opensport 25 for access of air, which backs up through port 26 and nipple 11to displace the steam in the radiator and cause its temperature tolower. At the same time valve 150 will cut oft communication betweenport 27 and the port 25 and also between pipe 4 and the port so that thesuction will be stopped at this point.

In both the above forms the steam is maintained below atmosphericpressure.

A float valve 22, 23 similar to that previously described is employed inthis form of the invention. hen this valve is down and open, it leaves acomparatively small orifice.

The port 20 is restricted in diameter relative to the diameter of theport l i, which is, say, five times as great, so that when valve 15 isopen, it dominates in the control of the air and the air will passthrough the port ll into the radiator despite the suction in pipe l. Itis understood that the apparatus works under about one pound of suction.The passage 20 can be cleaned by removing the screw plug 2.

Instead of mounting the valve mechanism at that end of the radiator atwhich the vent is located, I may mount the valve on the opposite end ofthe radiator, i. e., the steam inlet end, but connect it up with thevent by a suitable pipe extending along the radiator from the vent endto the inlet end. By locating the valve mechanism with its thermostat ator near the inlet end of the radiator, there may be less liability tovariation in the action of the thermostat, because the section of theradiator at the inlet end is more uniformly heated than is the lastsection where the vent is located. This last section at times may betotally devoid of heat and at other times it may be heated and the aircurrents therefore at this end of the radiator are subject toconsiderable variation which might induce undesired actions by thethermostat. At the inlet end of the radiator, however, because the firsttwo or three sections of the radiator are usually heated, when theradiator is in service at all, the air currents will be more uniform andthe room thermostat will not be subject to undue variation.

The thermostat is supported by arms 19a from a block of heat insulatingmaterial such as bakelite, which is mounted on the frame and casing 12,so that the whole organization constitutes one unit to be mounted on orremoved from the radiator as one body, by means of the nipple 11. Theheat insulating block 19?) is interposed between the casing and thethermostat and insulates the same against both conducted and radiatedheat from the radiator.

I claim:

1. In combination with a 'adiator, and a suction pipe, a valve mechanismbetween the atmosphere and the radiator, comprising a valve for closinga passage between the radiator and atmosphere, a room thermostat foroperating said valve, said suction pipe being in constant communicationwith said passage between the valve and the radiator through a poi" ofrestricted capacity in respect to the passage first mentioned, to drawupon the radiator when the valve is closed and to permit access ofatmospheric air through said passage to the radiator to displace thesteam when said valve open, substantially as described.

In combination with a radiator and suction pipe, a valve mechanismbetween the atmosphere and the vent of the radiator, and comprising adouble acting valve having a seat at each side thereof, said valve whenon one seat controlling a passage between said vent and atmosphere andwhen on the other seat controlling a passage leading to the suction pipefrom said vent, a room thermostat connected to the valve for closing thepassage first mentioned when the room temperature falls, leaving thesecond passage open for the suction to draw steam into the radiator,said thermostat operating the valve when the room temperature rises toclose the passage to the suction pipe and open the air passage foradmission of air to the radiator through the vent, substantially asdescribed.

3. A regulator for radiators comprising a frame member having a head orpartition provided with a port for the admission of atmospheric air, andhaving a connection to the vent of the radiator by which atmospheric airentering through said port may reach the radiator, a suction pipeconnected with a port in said head or partition to draw upon theradiator through the port first mentioned, a valve controlling theadmission of air through said port, and a room thermostat controllingthe valve, substantially as described. H

a. Radiator valve mechanism comprising a casing having means to connectwith the vent of the radiator a partition in said casing, a portextending through said partition for passage of atmospheric air to thevent, a suction port in said partition having communication with thevent by way of the port first mentioned, suction pipe connected with thesuction port, a valve controlling the passageof air to and from the ventthrough the first mentioned port and a room thermostat controlling saidvalve, substantially as described.

5. Radiator valve mechanism according to claim 4 having a float valvewithin the casing controlling said first mentioned port to prevent theescape of steam or water either to atmosphere or to the suction pipe.

6. Radiator valve mechanism according to claim 4 in which the valve isdouble acting, with a valve seat at opposite sides thereof, said valvewhen on one seat closing the suction connection and opening thecommunication from said first mentioned port to atmosphere and when onthe other seat opening the suction port and closing communicationbetween said first mentioned port and atmosphere.

7 In combination, a casing having means for attachment to the vent of aradiator and having a port communicating said vent with atmosphere, avalve controlling said port, a thermostat controlling said valve, asuction pipe,-said casing having a passage communicating said suctionpipe with the vent, said passage being of less capacity, than thepassage first mentioned so that when the valve is open air will go tothe radiator despite the suction action tendin to oppose it.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the restricted port iselongated to provide a relatively fixed resistance and an adjustableclean-out means in line therewith, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I aifix my signature.

EDWARD S. HALSEY.

